Preparations
by Rogue Darth Skywalker
Summary: She couldn't wait to meet their little ones. It hadn't been too long since they learned she was having twins, and as stressful as that idea was at first, she was quickly growing accustomed to the idea of having two perfect little babies. Her husband, however, seemed to be taking it a little worse than her.


**I had originally planned for this to be a chapter in another story, but I'm doubtful I'll ever get around to writing it so... made it a oneshot instead.**

**Happy Reading!**

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Where was he? Padme checked the time on her phone for what felt like the hundredth time since she arrived at the small diner. He was late. Again. It shouldn't surprise her. For as long as she'd known Anakin, his timing was the absolute worst. Even in high school, he'd always find a way to be late even when the classroom was right across from his locker. Padme shook her head as she took a sip of her water. She wished it was wine, but, as she rubbed small circles on the prominent bump of her belly, she reminded herself it was all for a good cause. A light tap to her hand further supported that, and a smile tugged at her lips. She couldn't wait to meet their little ones. It hadn't been too long since they learned she was having twins, and as stressful as that idea was at first, she was quickly growing accustomed to the idea of having two perfect little babies. Her husband, however, seemed to be taking it a little worse than her.

The past few days, he'd been a wreck. Calculating his modest salary as a mechanic and trying to double it and acting as if it were his alone that provided for their comfortable life when in fact it was both of their jobs. Maybe it was just some masculine pride thing at play here that has him thinking he needs to provide for her and their children, but it still worried her. He shouldn't be this stressed. He should be enjoying these moments with her, and standing by her side through all the good and the bad this pregnancy will bring. Instead, he was acting erratic, and not himself. Which was why she had insisted they go out to dinner after work. She picked his favorite restaurant, in part because Dex's had a relaxed vibe to it as well as because she had been craving something sweet and greasy and Dex had that in abundance.

The bell on the front door ringed and finally, she caught sight of her husband. His hair was messed as if he had run all the way here and his eyes darted from side to side as he looked for her. When their eyes met, that goofy love-struck smile she loved so much emerged and he was quick to walk over to her table. She struggled to try to stand to greet him, but he got to her first and simply bent down to her level, kissing her sweetly on the lips as his hand stroked her cheek. "Hey, beautiful," He greeted, his breathing labored as he took the seat across from her.

"Why are you panting?" She laughed, reaching across for his hand which he took eagerly.

Anakin gave a shrug, "Lyft driver was an ass," He said. "I told him it was faster to take Main to get here, but he insisted on taking Riverside."

"That doesn't explain your breathing," She said.

He smirked that Skywalker smirk that told her he did something he now knows is stupid, "I told him if he wasn't going to take Main, then I'd get out at Main."

Her eyes widened as he jaw dropped. He ran here. He ran all the way from Main to here. That is probably a ten minute drive, which explains why he was so late and also why he was breathing so hard and sweating. Padme shook her head as he just shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Why didn't you just come here on your bike?" She asked. She knew how much he loved his motorcycle. He'd spent years customizing it, perfecting it, it was his first love besides her and while Dex's might look a little shady on the outside, it was a perfectly safe area and one where he didn't have to worry about anything happening to it.

"Yeah…" He sucked in a breath as he directed his gaze down to their joined hands, "There's a reason for that—"

Padme nearly jumped as their waitress came over. Flo was a sweet woman, she'd known both of them since they were teenagers and remembered them mostly for their midnight dates the the diner for the black and white milkshakes they had been obsessed with at the time. But, as nice as she was, she lacked tact and had a habit of showing up at just the wrong moments. Regardless, both of them liked Flo and put on smiles as she took down their orders. Anakin, as always, ordered one of the specialty burgers with the works and a black and white milkshake. While Padme, who normally ordered something a little less filling, decided on the cinnamon French toast with strawberries and side of bacon and eggs. Her husband laughed when Flo walked away. She rarely ever ordered more than him, but she was carrying not one, but two Skywalkers. It seemed fitting that their combined appetites would rival that of their father.

"Anyway, you were saying?" She prompted, urging him to continue where he left off.

Leaning back in his chair, he scratched the back of his neck in that nervous way that told her he wasn't sure what she would think, or something he was just uncomfortable with. "I… I sold it," He mumbled.

She opened and shut her mouth several times as words seemed to fail her. "Sold it?" She asked. "Wh-when?"

"Today," he shrugged, spinning his spoon on the table. His eyes lifted to hers and he had the same worried expression she had seen too many times on his face in the past week. Leaning back once more, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, opening it to his web browser. He turned it to her and she noticed he had several tabs open with moderate compact cars and SUVs. "Watto owes me a favor, so I'm hoping he can cut me a deal on one of these," He said, turning the phone back to him. "I figured, since we're having twins, getting a car with a lot of trunk space is good… but, if we want another one later on, maybe we should get an SUV with a third row?" He scrolled through his phone until he pulled up what he was looking for and turned it back to her, "So, I figured it's between this 2014 Chevy Cruze and this 2015 Nissan Armada," He said. "I already talked to Watto and both cars are in great condition. The axel is a little off on the Armada, but I can fix that, and—"

"Stop! Stop," Her hands flinched as they reached across and took both of his wrapped around his phone and pulled them down to the table to stop distracting him. He sold his motorcycle. She expected they might get a second car, maybe move to a larger apartment after the twins were born, but this was something she did not expect. He loves that bike. She remembers the day he bought it so long ago when it was little more than a rusted old hunk of metal with an engine that blew before even traveling five miles. The fifteen-year-old Anakin had proudly boasted that he could turn it into the coolest motorcycle ever. Sixteen-year-old Padme had been skeptical. But, one day during their Junior year, he came rolling into the school parking lot, engine roaring, dressed in distressed jeans and a black bomber jacket, and wearing the proudest smile on his face as he showed off his hard work. The paint job wasn't perfect, but it worked, and it was fast— faster than she liked, but he loved that. And over the years, he had continued to work on it, upgrading it, re-painting it… she was in absolute shock that he sold it.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, her voice coming out more frantic than she intended. Out of the corner of her eye, she spited Flo getting ready to bring them their food, but one look at her, and the waitress, paused, taking the hint that now as not a good time.

Anakin furrowed his brow at her, "Doing what?" He asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"You sold your motorcycle?"

"Yes…" He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why? Why would you do that?"

His brow arched as he lifted his hands to indicate the swell of her belly, "We're having a baby— babies," He corrected. "I don't think it's legal to strap a carseat to the back of a motorcycle. It isn't exactly the safest thing—"

"You love that bike," She said.

"I love you—"

Padme held up her finger at him, "No, that isn't the point," She argued. "You love that bike. Why would you get rid of it so suddenly?"

His eyes dropped once more to the table, "They'll be here in three months," He said. "Twins can come early. I… I just want to be ready."

"We are ready," She argued, giving his hands a firm squeeze with her own.

But, he shook his head, "We only have one carseat. We have one highchair, one crib, one bassinet…" He sighed, "We're ready for one baby, but two… we need more space. More than what we have. Our lease on the apartment doesn't end for another four months, and they'll be too little to move, so we'll probably stay where we are for another year or so… but by then, we'll probably need more space and—"

"Hey," Padme released his hand and took his cheek in her hand. His frantic gaze locked on her as she tried to soothe him by stroking his strong jawline. He was afraid. As excited as he was, he was afraid of being a father. Anakin had never known his own father, so it seemed natural. And yet, it also broke her heart to see him so frantic. But he wasn't doing this alone, did he not realize that? Evidently, she was doing the most work having to grow them inside her. But regardless, he was so worried, and so stressed, and he didn't need to be. "We'll figure it out," She said. "We still have time."

"Not much," He argued.

She smiled as she stroked his cheek, "We have enough time," She said. "I wasn't worried about the car," She said. "They won't be going anywhere far for awhile. And I'll be home on maternity leave for a few months anyway. You didn't need to sell your bike, or get a new car. We were already planning on getting a second car anyway, and that was with you keeping your bike."

"But, the insurance—"

"Isn't a problem," She sighed. "In all your planning, did you eve consider my salary?" She asked. She hated to go there, she hated to remind him that she made more money than him with her job at the legal firm, but if it got him to stop panicking, she didn't really have any other choice. "Ani, if you put my figures with yours, we are exactly where we should be," she said, trying to urge him to see things from her perspective for as much as she loved him, he could be a little dense sometimes. Padme smiled as she let her hand drop from his face, and eased his phone from his hands so she could hold his hands tightly. Carefully, she slid her chair around the side so that she was closer to him. "We knew when we decided to have children that things would change," She started, "And while what we thought would happen has… altered a bit, we don't need to make too many more changes to accommodate for it." Her hand tugged his closer to her until the back of his hand made contact with her stomach. Immediately, he flipped his hand around to feel where his children were growing and the proud smile that always showed when he touched their children came back.

She felt pulsing taps inside her as one or both of the twins kicked at their father's hand. "They love you so much, Ani," She said, covering his hand with hers. "Regardless of if we have everything before they're born, or if we wait a little bit to get things organized, that will never change." Anakin lifted his eyes to her and he smiled, looking more relaxed than he had in a long time. "Get your bike back," She said. "I would never ask you to get rid of it."

"What about the car?" He asked.

She gave a shrug, "We don't need it right away. But, if you want to get it now, we can take out a small loan. But, Ani I don't want to spend the rest of this pregnancy worrying needlessly," She said. "I want us to enjoy it because after I'm done giving birth to two babies, I might not want to do it again."

Anakin laughed as he rubbed her belly affectionately. "Is it any wonder I love you so much," He sighed.

"I love you too," She said, leaning closer to him to kiss him on the lips sweetly, "But, you're a mess without me."


End file.
